TM

TM
 TM

A ga me for 2 to 5 daring arch aeologists,

aged 10 a nd up, playing time of 20 minutes.

Ga me Contents 1 Parchment Scrap 1

85 Treasure cards:
16 Pot Shards 16
SELL TO MUSEUM

16 Parchment Scraps
x1 x2 x3 x4

1 2 3 10

12 Coins
6 Broken Cups
8 Talismans
6 Maps
4 Pharaoh’s Masks
12 Broken Tablets
5 Broken Pendants

21 other cards:
10 Thief cards
6 Sandstorm cards
5 Tent cards Mi ne Sphi nx Great Pyra mid Mi neMi ne Sphi Sphi
nx nx GreatGreat
Pyra mid
Pyra midTombTomb
Tomb Buried
Buried Rui Rui ns
Buried
ns Rui ns Temple
Temple Temple

6 Monu ment tiles

This rulebook
Make
Make a pile of a12
pile
Makeof 12
facedown facedown
a pile of 12 facedown

15 15 15 15 15 15 TreasureTreasure cards.
cards. When
Treasure When
a Sa a Sa
ndstorm
cards. ndstorm
When card After
carda Sa ndstorm After to
card selling selling
After to the museum,
the museum,
selling to the museum,
is drawn,isadd
drawn,
1 ofisadd 1 to
these of add
drawn, these
each 1 to
of each each at look
these to look all theatcards
all thein
look atcards
all
1 ch ain
the 1 ch ain
mber.
cards mber.
1 ch a mber.
chamberchamber faceup. faceup.
faceup. chamber

1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 5 5 52 2 2
7 7 7
Shuffle the ch a mber.
Draw cards 1 at a time.
Shuffle the ch a mber. Shuffle
DrawDraw
Shuffle
the chthe
cards cards
a mber.
ch a mber.
1 at a 1time.
Shuffle
at a time. Na meNa
Shuffle
the chthe
a mber.
ch a mber.
1 1 1 1 1 1
Stop at a ny time a nd take
Na me 2 types of Treasure
cards. Draw 5 cards a nd 5 2 Stop at
Stop
a nyattime
a ny atime
nd take
2 types
me 2 types
a nd takecards.cards.
DrawDraw
of Treasure
5 cards
of Treasure
a nd a nd5
5 cards 5 2 2 Look atLook atLook
all cardsallincards 1 in 1
incards
at all 1
Draw allDraw
cardsallDraw
cardsall cards
5 5 52 2 2
all drawn cards. If total keep all th at m atch the all drawn
all drawn
cards.cards.
If total
If total keep all
keep
th at
allmthatch
at mthe
atch the 8 8 1 ch a8mber.
1 ch Keep
a mber.
1 ch Keep
a ny 2. a ny
a mber. 2. a ny 2.
Keep in 1 ch ain 1 ch ain
mber. mber.
1 ch a mber.
trade value of cards ever types n a med. trade trade
value value
of cards
of cards
ever ever types types
n a med.n a med.
exceeds 5, return them. Return the rest. 8 3 exceeds
exceeds
5, return
5, return
them.them. Return Return
the rest.
the rest. 8 8 3 3 1 1 1 5 5 52 2 2

Goal a nd Overview
Your goal is to make the most money by finding treasures and selling them to
the museum. You will acquire treasures at the dig site and monument, which
you will need to sell to the museum at the most opportune moment.
But this expedition is not without perils and surprises! Maps will help you
explore monuments, thieves will allow you to steal treasure from another
player, and sandstorms will scatter most of your collection all over the desert.
The player with the most money at the end of the game is the winner.

2
Setting Up the Ga me
1. Set aside the Map, Thief, Sandstorm, and Tent cards.

When playing with 2 or 3 players, return the Broken

Tablet and Broken Pendant cards to the box.
With 4 players, only return the Broken Pendant cards
to the box.

Shuffle all the remaining cards into 1 deck.

2. Deal 4 cards from the deck facedown to each player. Each player takes
these into his hand, keeping them hidden. Each player also takes one
Tent card which he places faceup in front of himself (the Tent card
is not part of a player’s hand). Return the other Tent cards to the box.
3. Deal 5 cards from the deck faceup to the middle of the table.
Throughout the game, the faceup treasures in the middle of the table
are called the marketplace. Mi ne Sphi nx Great Pyra mid

4. Shuffle the 6 Monument tiles and reveal one.

Return the others to the box. 2 5
Each monument requires a certain number 15
cards
1
cards
15

1 1
of treasures to be placed nearby. Each brown
2
Shuffle the ch a mber. Shuffle the ch a mber.
Draw cards 1 at a time.
Stop at a ny time a nd take
Na me 2 types of Treasure
cards. Draw 5 cards a nd 5 2

circle represents a chamber. For each chamber,

all drawn cards. If total keep all th at m atch the
trade value of cards ever types n a med.
exceeds 5, return them. Return the rest. 8 3

prepare a pile with as many Treasure cards as

the number shows.
8
Note: For your first game, it is recommended to use cards
the Great Pyramid.
 Note: Some monuments have special setup rules,
indicated on the tiles. The various monuments are detailed on pages 10-11.
5. According to the number of players, use the correct number of
Sandstorm and Thief cards (as shown at the bottom of the cards).
Return the remaining cards to the box.
6. Shuffle the remaining Sandstorm, Thief, and Map cards into what
remains of the Treasure deck. Place it facedown on the table.
This deck is called the dig site.

3
Treasure Cards
On every Treasure card is listed its trading value (for trading at the
marketplace), its selling values (for selling sets of the treasure to the
museum), and its rarity (the number of Treasure cards of its type that
are in the game).
Trading value • 
Listed in the top corners of the card. E.g.,
a Broken Tablet has a trading value of 1.

Rarity/Player Cou nt •
Listed at the bottom of the card’s picture.
E.g., there are 12 Broken Tablets in
the game.
Note: Broken Tablets and Broken Pendants
both show at what player counts they are
included in the game.

Selling values •
Listed at the bottom of the card.
E.g., a set of 3 Broken Tablets can be sold
to the museum for $10.
Monu ment Tiles
Each of these tiles shows a number of chambers
Tomb that eachRui
Buried contain
ns a certainTemple
number of cards, how
many Map cards are required to obtain cards from
a chamber, and sometimes, a special rule. Each
monument is presented in detail on pages 10-11.

• Ch a mbers a nd nu mber of cards

The number of chambers and how many
cards
Make a pile of are in each of them.
12 facedown
After selling to the museum,
E.g.,addthe Tomb
Treasure cards. When a Sa ndstorm card
is drawn, 1 of these to each haslook
2 chambers:
at all the cards in 1 chone
a mber. with

7 cards in it, the other with 8 cards.

chamber faceup.

1• Map card requirement 5 a2nd special rule

7
1 Each monument requires a number of Map
1 cardsDraw
1toalltake cards5from its2chambers. Some
Look at all cards in cards
8 1 ch a mber. Keep a ny 2.
monuments in 1 ch a mber. also have special rules.

1 E.g., when exploring 5 the Tomb, 2 players look at

1 chamber and take 2 cards from it.

4
Playing the Ga me
The first player is the last person to have put their feet in the sand.
Each turn, a player digs for treasure, and then may take other actions.
1. Dig for treasure
At the start of his turn, the player must dig for treasure by drawing the top
card from the dig site.
If it’s a Treasure card...
The player has found that treasure! The card is added to his hand without
being revealed to the other players. A player may have any number of
cards in his hand during the game.
If it’s a Thief card...
The player has met a thief at the dig site and will use him to
steal a treasure from another player.
After being drawn, the Thief card is discarded faceup on the
table. This allows all players to track how many of the Thief
cards are left to be drawn (this number varies according to the
number of players, as shown on the card).
The player who drew the Thief must choose an opponent to steal from.
He then takes one card from that player’s hand, without looking. This
card is then added to his own hand without revealing it to the other play-
ers. If no opponents have cards in their hands, then nothing can be stolen
and the Thief card is simply discarded faceup on the table.
If it’s a Sandstorm card...
A sandstorm has struck all players, causing them to lose some
of their treasures! These treasures are soon recovered from the
desert by local merchants, and will end up in the marketplace.
After being drawn, the Sandstorm card is discarded faceup
on the table. This allows all players to track how many of the
Sandstorm cards are left to be drawn (this number varies ac-
cording to the number of players, as shown on the card).
Playing your Tent card
First, players decide if they would like to use their tent card
to take shelter. Starting with the player to the left of who-
ever drew the Sandstorm, each player declares if they will
be using their tent or not. If a player decides to use his tent,

5
 Exa mple
Adele draws a Sandstorm. She discards it faceup on the table.
Ben is the player to her left and he decides not to use his tent. Christopher
does the same. Daria chooses to use her tent and so discards it from the
game. Adele has already used her tent previously.
Ben has 6 cards and so must discard 3 of his choice faceup to the
marketplace. Christopher has 5 cards and so must discard 2. Daria does not
discard anything as she used her tent. Adele has only 1 card in hand and
therefore does not need to discard it.

it is discarded from the game and the Sandstorm will not affect him. If a player
decides not to use his tent, or has previously used it, then the Sandstorm will
affect him.
Now the Sandstorm takes effect. Starting with the player to the left of
whoever drew the Sandstorm, each player who did not use his tent must
discard half of his cards (rounded down). Players choose which cards
they lose. The lost cards now belong to the marketplace, and so are placed
faceup in the middle of the table.
After the storm...
After the Sandstorm has taken effect, the player who drew the Sandstorm
restarts his turn by again digging for treasure. In other words, after drawing a
Sandstorm card, a player gets to draw again until he draws either a Treasure
or Thief card.

2. Other actions
After digging for treasure, the player may also trade at the marketplace,
explore the monument, and sell treasures to the museum. Except for the
Explore action, the player may take these actions any number of times each
turn and in any order, or choose to take none of these actions on his turn.
a. Trade at the marketplace
The player may trade any number of cards in his hand for any number of
cards in the marketplace of equal or lesser trading value. A treasure’s trading
value is listed in the top corners of its card.
1 Parchment Scrap
1
1 1Parchment Scrap 1
Parchment Scrap 1

16
SELL TO MUSEUM
x1 x2 x3 x4

1 2 3 10

6
 Exa mple
Adele decides to trade 2 Parchment Scraps (which have a
trading value of 1 each) and 1 Coin (which has a trading value
of 2) for 1 Talisman and 1 Pot Shard (which have a total trading
value of 4). Adele places her Coin and Parchment Scrap cards
faceup in the marketplace, and then takes the Talisman and Pot
Shard from the marketplace into her hand.

If the cards chosen from the marketplace are of lesser trading value than
those traded in, the difference is simply lost.
The player may trade with the marketplace multiple times in one turn.
Any number of cards may be in the marketplace at one time. It is helpful
to arrange the cards in the marketplace by type.
b. Explore a monument (only once per turn)
If the player has any Map cards, he may use them to explore the monu-
Mi ne ment in orderSphi
tonxgain furtherGreat
treasure.
Pyra mid
Mi ne Sphi nx Great Pyra mid
Mi ne According to Sphi
eachnx monument, the
Great Pyraplayer
mid may discard 1 or more Map
cards from his hand to take a given number of Treasure cards from one of
the monument’s chambers.

Exa mple
15 The
15Great Pyramid has 3 chambers. It costs a player:
Mi ne
15 Sphi nx
15
Great Pyra mid

15 15 1 card to explore this

1 1 2 1
Shuffle1 the ch a mber. 1
Shuffle the ch a mber. 2 1 chamber containing 2 cards.
Shuffle1
Draw cards
the1chata mber.
a time. 1
NaShuffle
me 2 types of aTreasure
the ch mber. 2
5 1
2
op at a ny time a nd take
Draw
llShuffle
drawn
op 15
cards
at cards
the
cards.
a ny time
1chata mber.
a time.
If
aand total
15
take
cards.
Na me 2Draw
Shuffle
keep
cards.
types
all
Draw
the
th
5ofcards
at5ch aatch
a nd
Treasure
mber.
mcards the
a nd 5 2 2 cards to explore this
Draw
rade
ll
op drawn
xceeds
rade
at
valuecards.
a
1value ny time
5, return
1 at
of cards
of cards
aIf
nd
time.
ever
total
them.take
1
ever
Na me
cards.
2 types
keeptypes
all
Draw
2 Return
n aof
th at
1 nthe
5m
Treasure
med.
atch the
cards
rest. a nd
5
8 2
3 chamber containing 5 cards.
keeptypes ammed.
ll drawn
xceeds 5,
cards.
huffle the ch a mber.
rade return
value of cards
If total
them.
Shuffle the ch a mber.
ever
all th at
Return
types the
2 n a med.
atch the
rest. 8 3
3 3 cards to explore this
aw cards 1 at a time. Na me 2 types of Treasure
5
p at a ny time a nd take
xceeds
drawn cards. 5, return
If total
cards. Draw 5 cards a nd
keepthem.
all th at m atch the Return the rest. 8
de value of cards ever types n a med.
ceeds 5, return them. Return the rest. 8 3
chamber containing 8 cards.

All cards taken from the monument are added to the player’s hand without
being revealed to the other players. Discarded Map cards are removed from
the game.
Most chambers may only be explored once in the game. Exceptions
are described on the Monument tiles themselves and expanded upon
on pages 10-11.
7
c. Sell to the museum
A player may choose to sell a set of 1 or more Treasure cards of the same
type from his hand to the museum. These sets are worth money at the
end of the game.

The value of a set of treasures is determined by the selling prices listed

at the bottom of its card. For most treasures, you will notice that
these values increase greatly with each card in the set. However, Pot
Shards, Parchment Scraps, Broken Cups/Tablets/Pendants must be fully
assembled to make a good profit. That is, a complete set is needed for
their value to substantially increase.
When a player decides to sell a set of treasures, he announces to the other
players what he is selling. He then places the set of cards faceup on the
table in front of him in an overlapping row, so that all the cards remain
visible. Each time a set of treasures is sold it must be placed in a new pile.
Cards cannot be added to a set of treasures that has already been sold.
A player cannot sell a set containing more treasures than the maximum
number listed in its selling prices. For example, even if a player has
6 Talismans in his hand, he may only sell 5 of them as a set. The player
may, however, sell multiple sets of the same type of treasure.
The player may sell to the museum multiple times in one turn.
Sold treasures cannot be stolen by thieves or lost in sandstorms.

3. End of turn
When the player has finished taking actions for his turn, play passes to
the next player, moving clockwise around the table.

8
Ending The Ga me
When there are no cards left in the deck, play continues, but players
no longer dig for treasure at the start of their turn. Players continue taking
other actions as usual on their turn, or they may pass and take no actions.
However, if all players pass in sequence, then the first player who passed
must sell at least 1 of his cards to the museum when play returns to him.
When every player is left without cards in his hand (that is, all remaining
treasures have been sold to the museum), then the game is over.
Each player calculates the total value of what he sold to the museum
during the game. The selling value of each set of sold treasures is
calculated separately. These values are then added together and the player
with the highest total wins.
Note: unused Tent cards are not worth any points at the end of the game.
In the case of a tie, the tied players count the total number of cards that
they sold to the museum. Whoever has the lowest total is the winner.

Exa mple
At game end, Adele has sold 3 sets of treasures.
Her total score is $72.

a set of 4 Talismans a set of 2 Talismans a set of 5 Coins

(worth $32) (worth$10) (worth $30)

9
 The Monu ment Tiles
At the start of the game, you will randomly choose 1 Monument tile and
place it on the table. During setup, prepare the chambers with Treasure
cards as described below. The cards a player may keep when exploring
varies depending on the monument being used, as described on the tiles
themselves and below.
Sphi nx Great Pyra mid Great Pyra mid
Setup: Prepare 3 chambers: one of 2, one of 5, and
one of 8 facedown Treasure cards.
15
Explore: Discard 1, 2, or 3 maps to take the cards in the
1 2 1 chamber of 2, 5, or 8 cards respectively.
Shuffle the ch a mber.
a me 2 types of Treasure
ards. Draw 5 cards a nd 5 2
keep all th at m atch the
types n a med.
Return the rest. 8 3

Buried Rui ns Temple Temple

Setup: Prepare 3 chambers, each with 5 facedown Treasure cards.
Explore: A player may discard 2 maps to take all 5 cards from
Make a pile of 12 facedown
reasure cards. When a Sa ndstorm card
is drawn, add 1 of these to each
After selling to the museum,
look at all the cards in 1 ch a mber.
any 1 chamber.
chamber faceup.

1 5 2 During play: Whenever a player sells to the museum,

1
1
Draw all cards
in 1 ch a mber.
5 2 he may pick up all the cards in any 1 chamber, look at them
1 5 2 and return them facedown, without letting any opponents
see them.

Tomb Tomb
Buried Rui ns Temple

Setup: Prepare 2 chambers: one of 7 and one of 8 facedown

Treasure cards.
Explore: A player may discard 1 map to pick up all of the
Make a pile of 12 facedown
Treasure cards. When a Sa ndstorm card
is drawn, add 1 of these to each
After selling to the museum,
look at all the cards in 1 ch a mber.

Treasure cards in 1 chamber. He looks at them, chooses 2 to keep,

chamber faceup.

1 5 2
7
1
1
and1 returns
5
the
2
rest facedown, without letting any opponents
see them.5 In this way, the number of cards in each chamber will
Look at all cards in Draw all cards
8 1 ch a mber. Keep a ny 2. in 1 ch a mber.

1 2
decrease as the game goes on. Once a player chooses a chamber,
he must discard the map and take 2 cards from it. If there is only
1 card left in a chamber, then this is all the player receives. Players
may check how many cards remain in each chamber at any time.

10
 Mi ne Mine Sphi nx Great Pyra mid

Setup: Prepare 1 chamber of 15 facedown Treasure cards.

Explore: A player may discard 1 map to explore the Mine.
15
He15 shuffles the chamber, and then begins drawing cards, 1 at
1
a time,
1
placing
2 1
them faceup on the table. At any time, he may
Shuffle the ch a mber.
Draw cards 1 at a time.
stop drawing 2
cards and add to his hand all those that he has
Shuffle the ch a mber.
Na me 2 types of Treasure
5
drawn. However, if at any time the trade value of the cards
Stop at a ny time a nd take cards. Draw 5 cards a nd
all drawn cards. If total keep all th at m atch the
trade value of cards ever types n a med.
exceeds 5, return them. 8
Return the rest.3
drawn is greater than 5, then all the cards are returned to the
chamber facedown, and the player receives nothing. Players
may check how many cards remain in each chamber at any time.

Mi ne Sphi nx Sphinx
Great Pyra mid

Setup: Prepare 1 chamber of 15 facedown Treasure cards.

Explore: A player may discard 1 map to explore the Sphinx.
15 15 First, he names 2 different Treasure card types that he would like
1 1 2
to 1find. He shuffles the chamber, and then draws 5 cards and
Shuffle the ch a mber.
Draw cards 1 at a time.
top at a ny time a nd take
Shuffle the ch a mber.
Na me 2 types of Treasure
cards. Draw 5 cards a nd 5
places
2
them faceup on the table. If there are fewer than 5 cards,
all drawn cards. If total
rade value of cards ever
exceeds 5, return them.
keep all th at m atch the
types n a med.
Return the rest. 8
the3 player draws all that remains. The player takes all the Treasure
cards that match the types that he named. Any cards not taken are
returned to the chamber. In this way the player may receive 0-5
cards depending on how good his guesses are. Players may check
how many cards remain in the chamber at any time.

Tomb Buried Rui ns Buried Ruins

Temple

Setup: Prepare 3 chambers, each with 1 faceup Treasure card.

Also, deal a pile of 12 facedown Treasure cards beside the
Make a pile of 12 facedown
Treasure cards. When a Sa ndstorm card
Buried Ruins tile.
After selling to the museum,
look at all the cards in 1 ch a mber.

Explore:
is drawn, add 1 of these to each

A player may discard 1 map to take all the cards

chamber faceup.

1 5 2
7
1
Look at all cards in 1
1
Draw all cards
5
from
2
any 1 chamber.
8
5 
During Play: Whenever a Sandstorm card is drawn, the
1 ch a mber. Keep a ny 2. in 1 ch a mber.

1 2
player who drew it immediately adds 1 card to each chamber,
using cards from the pile prepared during setup. These cards are
placed faceup in the chambers so that all cards in the chambers
are visible to all players. Then, play continues as normal
regarding the effects of the sandstorm, including the decision
to use a Tent or not. In this way, more treasures are revealed as
sandstorms occur. This means that as Explore actions are taken,
the number of treasures in each chamber may differ. Once the
prepared pile of Treasure cards runs out, no more treasures are
added to the chambers when sandstorms happen.

11
 Varia nts
• Long Expedition (for 2 or 3 players): For a longer game with 2 or
3 players, simply add the Broken Tablet and Broken Pendant cards to
the game during setup. When using this variant, also add 1 extra Thief
card to the game.
• Fierce Weather: In this variant, all 6 Sandstorm cards are used in the
game, regardless of the number of players. To counter these storms,
Tents may be used twice during the game. After a player uses their Tent
card for the first time, it is flipped facedown. After using a Tent card for
the second time, it is removed from the game.
• Beginner’s Luck: This variant gives a small advantage to the player with
the least valuable starting treasures. Once the players have all received
their starting hands, they add up the trading value of their 4 cards and
announce the total. Whoever has the lowest total takes the first turn
of the game. If multiple players tie for the lowest, then whichever tied
player last put their feet in the sand is the first player.

Credits TM

Author: Phil Walker-Harding

Illustrations: Atha Kanaani
Art Direction: Philippe Guérin info@zmangames.com
Graphic Design and Layout: Marie-Eve Joly www.zmangames.com
Rules Editing: Jean-François Gagné
IMPORTED AND DISTRIBUTED IN THE EU BY:
ASMODEE UNITED KINGDOM, UNIT 6 WATERBROOK
© 2016 Z-Man Games. Archaeology and Z-Man Games are ROAD, ALTON HAMPSHIRE, GU34 2UD, UNITED
KINGDOM
TMs of Z-Man Games. Z-Man Games is a division of Asmodee
IMPORTED AND DISTRIBUTED IN THE EU
North America, Inc. Z-Man Games, 1995 West County Road B2, BY: ENIGMA DISTRIBUTION DANMARK A/S
VALSEHOLMEN 1 2650 HVIDOVRE DANEMARK
Roseville, MN 55113, USA. 651-639-1905. Actual components
IMPORTED AND DISTRIBUTED IN THE EU BY:
may vary from those shown. ENIGMA DISTRIBUTION BENELUX B.V. WETHOUDER
DEN OUDENSTRAAT 8 5706 ST HELMOND, HOLLAND

12